Are You a Thief?
Are you claiming what belongs to God as your own?
Most of us would never think of ourselves as thieves, but are we? In Genesis 2, we read that our Lord put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it with one command: “You’re free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:16-17) He gave them the freedom to eat everything else their heart desired. Everything! But, deceived by Satan, Eve ate from the forbidden tree and gave some of the fruit to Adam. In so doing, they freely accepted what the Father gave them but wanted more, so they turned their back on Him and went their own way.
Their disobedience is obvious, but what about our own? In what ways might we be taking from our Provider to satisfy our own desires? How often do we turn our back on His Word to do what’s right in our own eyes? After the Babylonian captivity, Jewish people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Corruption among priests and neglect of temple worship plagued the community. The prophet Malachi accused them of robbing God because they failed to honor Him with the required tithes and offerings.
Now, for years, I chose not to give to the Lord. I was selfish, spending everything He entrusted to me on my own desires. I didn’t understand that He was the owner and that I was to manage all that He provided. Once enlightened, giving became a privilege – an act of worship and joy.
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